Should Sioux Falls Build a New Minor League Stadium Downtown?

Should we build a new minor league baseball stadium in downtown Sioux Falls?

I had to rephrase that question when preparing for my show because I think it allows for a lot more dialogue and conversation vs. the question "do we NEED to build a new stadium downtown?".

There was clearly a NEED for a new event center. Our city was growing at a rate where we saw the acts desire to stop here and they needed a 5 Star facility like we currently have.

The only way I could justify a NEED for a new minor league stadium downtown was if we actually got a minor league team. I'm talking affiliated minor league team.

I love the Canaries. I go to games. I think they have wonderful people working for them, but they just don't have the credibility with the masses because they are a "independent" baseball team. Unless you have the pipeline to the big leagues, the masses won't buy in and they need to in order to make a downtown stadium happen.

It's a want. Would it be cool to have one downtown? Absolutely. I would totally support it because I'm selfish and I'd like to go to games there whether it's the canaries or minor league affiliated team. I would enjoy the atmosphere of dinner downtown and a baseball game afterwards.

Fans have chimed in on the topic too. I got numerous tweets and emails and it was a resounding YES, if it was affiliated to a Major League team. It was a resounding NO, if it was just the Canaries moving into a new downtown stadium.

Plus, Mayor Mike says no. He joined me on my radio show last week and said he doesn't see the need for a new stadium downtown when our current stadium is very nice, very clean and very fitting for the current tenants. And without the mayor on board it's going to be tough unless it's all going to be privately funded.

Now that doesn't mean the next mayor in 2017 won't be in favor of it but for now the political side to me would seem hard.

I know there are and have been efforts to make it happen. Space has been selected. But I'm guessing and I have no info on this, just speculating that money has something to do with it. It usually does when dealing with minor league teams and their budgets.

Plus, do you really think five years from now there will be more than 3,000 fans watching a ‎Canaries game if it was downtown. Once the new car effect rolls off, I think you'd see similar numbers as you do at the current birdcage.